County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Ashe County
- What is the median household income in Ashe County?
- The median household income in Ashe County is $50,827 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Ashe County?
- The poverty rate in Ashe County is 9.4% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Ashe County?
- $221,900 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Ashe County?
- The median gross rent in Ashe County is $774 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Ashe County residents have a college degree?
- 22.4% of adults in Ashe County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
26,831
Median Income
$50,827
Median Home Value
$221,900
Poverty Rate
9.4%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
5.4%
Median Age
49.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$9,865 (+24.1%)
Home Value:
+$68,700 (+44.8%)
Poverty Rate:
-1.0 pp (-9.6%)
Bachelor's+:
+2.7 pp (+13.7%)
Unemployment:
+1.8 pp (+50%)
Demographics
Total Population
26,831
Median Age
49.0
Female
50.7%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
White (non-Hisp.) 91.2%
Black 1.1%
Asian 0.4%
Two or More 3.5%
Other 0.7%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Vietnamese
0.3%
Filipino
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
4.3%
Puerto Rican
0.5%
Cuban
0.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$50,827
±$3,707
-$19,077 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$67,001
Median Family Income
$65,092
Poverty Rate
9.4%
+0.0 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
13.8%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
13.6%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
28.8%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
6.4%
$10–15k
5.1%
$15–25k
10.4%
$25–35k
11.3%
$35–50k
15.9%
$50–75k
19.3%
$75–100k
11.5%
$100–150k
11.4%
$150–200k
6.1%
$200k+
2.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
17,111
Owner-Occupied
78.4%
Renter-Occupied
21.6%
Vacancy Rate
29.9%
Median Home Value
$221,900
-$37,500 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$774
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
19.7%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
32.3%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
7.0%
$50–100k
8.6%
$100–200k
16.4%
$200–300k
21.4%
$300–500k
20.6%
$500k–$1M
10.5%
$1M+
2.2%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
19.2%
$500–1k
57.1%
$1–1.5k
22.0%
$1.5–2k
1.4%
$2–2.5k
0.4%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
5.0%
1 vehicle
27.9%
2 vehicles
39.7%
3+
27.4%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
74.8%
Single-fam. att.
1.0%
2–4 units
2.3%
5–19 units
0.8%
20+ units
1.3%
Mobile home
16.7%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
6.7%
1940–1969
4.1%
1970–1999
17.5%
2000–2009
15.5%
2010+
4.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
87.5%
Bachelor's or Higher
22.4%
-12.3 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
8.0%
Some College / Associate
22.1%
Less Than High School
3.2%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
51.6%
Unemployment Rate
5.4%
+0.6 pp vs. state
Work from Home
9.4%
Self-Employed
7.7%
Government Workers
13.5%
Private For-Profit
78.4%
Industry
Edu/Health
23.0%
Manufacturing
14.2%
Retail
12.5%
Construction
11.6%
Prof. Services
8.1%
Arts/Entmt.
5.9%
Finance
5.7%
Transportation
4.3%
Public Admin
3.8%
Wholesale
2.4%
Agriculture
2.4%
Information
1.3%
Occupation
Management
33.2%
Sales
20.3%
Food Prep
16.3%
Production
15.5%
Construction
14.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
24.5 min
Drove Alone
79.5%
Carpool
9.6%
Public Transit
0.1%
Work from Home
9.4%
Walked
1.3%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
11,999
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
53.4%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
12.8%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
3.9%
5–9
4.3%
10–14
5.2%
15–19
5.4%
20–24
4.4%
25–34
10.5%
35–44
10.6%
45–54
12.6%
55–64
6.6%
65–74
9.6%
75–84
15.7%
85+
8.3%
Under 18: 17.0%
Working age (18–64): 83.0%
65 and over: 27.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
3.0%
Naturalized Citizen
52.0%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
1.8%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
68.6%
Europe
13.5%
Asia
10.1%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
6.5%
With a Disability
19.2%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
87.9%
Uninsured
12.1%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
80.2%
Has a Computer
88.3%
Same House 1 Year Ago
92.4%
Moved from Abroad
0.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Ashe County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Ashe County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Other flows - South | 160 | 291 |
| Watauga County | 121 | 222 |
| Wake County | 37 | 60 |
| Wilkes County | 35 | 55 |
| Other flows - West | 30 | 54 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 26 | 44 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 23 | 45 |